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After bandaging his wound as usual, the boy with a frail body let out a small breath. His black eyes stared blankly at the nearly empty first-aid kit. After a bit, the teenager with a messy school uniform stood up from his seat on the floor and walked to the single bed in the room. He sat up while grabbing the only thing that connected him with his precious treasure.

There was a small smile etched on that face full of bruises as his two fingers typed on his phone and opened the Webnovel application.

Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World.

The only Webnovel that Kim Dokja really liked.

In this Webnovel, a story about a strong protagonist, Yoo Jonghyuk, who tries to reach the end of his scenario despite having to rewind time repeatedly, was told. His heart loved how strong the protagonist was in facing all the trials that befell him. He loved it to the point that it made him survive until now.

"New chapters!" he exclaimed with a happy voice. He had been saving them for a week, the Author-nim was kind enough to update many chapters, making the 19-year-old teenager beyond happy.

So, he read.

And read.

And read.

And kept on reading, as the feeling of satisfaction embalmed his soul.

Until a new character was introduced.

The two black eyes with cosmic stars expanded. With great appreciation and greed, he read the next passage slowly, preserving every word written by the Author-nim.

[  - troublesome monsters, they even had time to attack and hurt Jonghyuk.

The Main Scenario #17 this time had a different level of difficulty from the Main Scenario #17 from before he had regressed 30 times. The attack was even able to send Lee Hyunsung flying 10 meters backwards. Lee Jihye also looked exhausted and like she was having a hard time next to him. Kim Namwoon-

"Master!"

-DUAM!

"-ugh!" If Jonghyuk hadn’t been deftly protecting his stomach, it would have had a hole in it by now. Squinting his eyes in annoyance, Jonghyuk's grip on his sword tightened. His black eyes twinkled coldly, staring at the monster with a dead stare. Should he regress again this time? Should-

-a golden flash blinded his eyes.

Jonghyuk along with the others were stunned for a moment, waiting vigilantly for the smoke billowing around the monster to clear.

Fluttering red hair was the first thing Yoo Jonghyuk noticed. In the deafening silence, with rose gold thunderbolts in the background, the wind gently fluttered, delivering the smell of nature that has long been forgotten by humans. Then reddish-brown eyes stared at Jonghyuk with a gentle look and no judgment. Only acceptance, and a serenity so intense you could almost call the mystic man ‘ home ’ .

Yoo Jonghyuk wanted the man to stand by his side.]

"Eh?" Dokja needed to check his eyes many times to read the paragraph correctly.  To make sure that Jonghyuk was the same protagonist in the novel? Because the Jonghyuk he knew had never really been interested in other characters after the repeated regressions that froze his heart.

[ "Who are you?", clutching his bleeding stomach, Jonghyuk asked in a sharp voice. His sword was drawn forward, ignoring the screen showing that Main Scenario #17 had finished and was distributing contributions.

His eyes glanced at the screen.

⫸ Contribution : Yoo Jonghyuk, Lee Jihye, Hanibaram ⫷

"...Hanibaram?"  The red-haired man who still looked at him with a complicated look, sighed and nodded.

"Nice to meet you." Even his voice sounded smooth and stoic. Jonghyuk ignored Jihye, who was blushing beside him.

"Why are you helping us?" Jonghyuk asked at once in a commanding voice, his brows furrowed in displeasure, eyes filled with a sharp and cold gaze. His interlocutor only glanced at him briefly before shrugging his shoulders, a chuckle audible.

"Do you need a reason to help others?", the red-hair man tilted his head slightly as he asked back and gave a small smile. Before Jonghyuk could reply, the other man just waved his hand. Disappearing with the cool breeze, sending off the long-forgotten fragrance of mother nature.

Black eyes that were originally cold twinkled with determination.

Whoever that man was, Jonghyuk would find him.

No matter how long or how many times he regressed, Jonghyuk would look for him.]

The chapter ended, leaving teenage Dokja with an empty feeling in his heart. Usually filled with feelings of satisfaction and joy, for some reason now it was filled with a sense of longing and high curiosity to find out more about the character of 'Hanibaram'.

At first instance, envy soared in his little heart. Both hands gripped his phone tighter with trembling lips.

Even Yoo Jonghyuk, who was strong alone, could still find something reeking of home. Black eyes mourned with gloom.

Home is... a place where he will always be welcome, wasn't it? A place where no matter how far you've gone, you still had a place to go back to. To rest. And a place to fall asleep at without fear.

... would Dokja find it one day?

Find a 'home' like Yoo Jonghyuk too?

Leaning on the wall of his room, a fragile smile engraved with a small, pseudo hope.

Kim Dokja wanted to become strong like his favorite protagonist, Yoo Jonghyuk.

And... Kim Dokja wanted to have a 'home' like 'Hanibaram'.

SEE YOU IN THE NEXT CHAPTER